Garden Educator and Administrative Assistant

Daniel is the garden manager and administrative assistant at the Asheville Farmstead School. Daniel is a proud North Carolinian who grew up in Raleigh and moved to Burlington for school and work. He is passionate about storytelling, relationship building, and family. These passions have led him to experiences in schools, daycares, and local nonprofits both here in North Carolina and abroad in the Dominican Republic and in Chile (where his family is from!).

He studied Human Services at Elon University and always had an interest in and knack for the nonprofit sector. Daniel has 5 years experience supporting and working directly with small, community-based nonprofits. He also spent quite literally a his whole life working with kids, as his mother owns a home daycare. One of his core beliefs is that we have just as much to learn from kids as they do from us. Young creativity is powerful. 

Upon graduating, Daniel served as a program coordinator for Healthy Alamance, a public-health nonprofit in Alamance County. He participated in public health research, facilitated several county groups such as the Health Equity Collective and Alamance Food Collaborative, and helped oversee three farmers markets in the county. It was during his time at the farmers markets where he found a passion for all things agriculture-related. After volunteering with some of the farmers from the market he began to work full-time as a farm-hand. Although very different, he found a lot of the same community-centered values and kindness in agriculture as he did in the nonprofit world. After working the hot summer in NC he took his skills international. Daniel spent six months with his family in the town of Quillota, Chile. Here he added on handyman and landscaping skills that he learned while working with his tíos. 

Upon returning to the states, Daniel found what seemed like his dream job. The Asheville Farmstead School connects all pieces of his professional and personal experiences. He can offer nonprofit support, get his hands dirty, and, most importantly, grow and learn with young ones. He is excited to be a part of the team!

Lead Sprout Educator

Agnes grew up climbing trees and playing in the creeks of Bloomington, Indiana. There she attended Indiana University and received a B.S. in Elementary Education. She then taught Kindergarten for four years at University Elementary School, an International Baccalaureate school in Bloomington. She loved the inquiry based learning style of the school, where children’s curiosity drove the learning. During her time at University she was a leader on the school's equity team. She created opportunities for both students and families to share their experiences and concerns, and used this information to change policies and practices at the school. In 2021, she co-founded a LGBTQIA+ and Allies Club, aiming to create a safe space for adolescents to express themselves authentically and find community with their peers. 

In her years at University she noticed that the more free play she incorporated into her student’s day, the more regulated and successful they were. At the same time, she struggled with the amount of testing and technology being pushed on the 5 and 6 year old students. She wondered what else was out there in the field of education, and that is when she learned about forest schooling, and found Asheville Farmstead School. 

Agnes is grateful to now be living amongst the mountains, and working at the Farmstead. She uses her experience with inquiry based learning to engage children’s sense of wonder in nature. She supports children in developing independence and emotional awareness, with modeling and clear expectations. In her free time, Agnes enjoys exploring new trails, making art, and spending quality time with her cats and dog.

Sprout Educator

Myles Jude was borned and raised in Columbus, Ohio.  Throughout his childhood and growing up, Myles spent hours outdoors in all seasons.  Enjoying the adventures with siblings and friends around the neighborhood and in the local parks to discover new surprises.  He attended Cedarville University in the cornfields outside of Dayton, Ohio where he earned his degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education.  While attending school, he worked with his local YMCA through the day camps where he worked as camp counselors as well as program director during his time there at the camp. 

Myles started his teaching career working with middle school students at a charter school in inner city Columbus, before moving up to Grand Haven, Michigan.  Along with living near Lake Michigan, he also had the opportunity to have exposure and experiences with the multitude of hiking and nature trails that western Michigan has to offer.  It was there that he continued working with students with special needs ranging from preschool to middle school ages.  During his summers he participated and worked at the YMCA in Grand Haven, working with campers with special needs and coordinating resources for them to be able to participate in every day camp opportunities as their peers. 

Myles moved down to Asheville, North Carolina in Fall of 2022 to continue teaching working with students with intense social emotional deficits within Asheville City Schools. Which has then led him to the Ashville Farmstead School and provided him the opportunity to take his passion for learning, teaching, and adventure into a whole new direction. 

During his free time, Myles greatly enjoys exploring and looking for new experiences with his friends and family.  As well as taking time to relax with a good book and his senior cat, Annie.  On top of a good true crime podcast, a good comedy and a sweet tooth that can get him in trouble.  He is excited to grow and learn in his time at the Farmstead and expand his knowledge of the natural world around him. 

AM Sprouts, ½ Day Littlest Learners Educator

Carrie is over the moon to be at Asheville Farmstead School.  She lived much of her life in Michigan until 2018 when she and her husband took to the road for an RV adventure to find more mindful ways of living and to find a forever community.  Eventually, they found their community here in the Smoky Mountains. 

Carrie has a BA in Secondary Education. She taught middle school briefly before realizing that her gifts were not a great fit for the public education system.  She yearned to really make a difference in children’s lives, which she found through nannying.  Her favorite thing is to watch children grow organically through curious play, wonder and awe, especially out in nature!  She has been so lucky in her 20+ years of childcare to find the most creative, fun, and loving children and families to work with.  

She also worked for many years as a director at a Detroit area nonprofit organization helping single mothers and their children get back on their feet after periods in homeless and DV shelters, by furnishing and decorating their new homes.   

She currently lives in Sylva with her husband and their two perfectly crazy cats, Blue and Bonkers.  She spends her free time exploring the glorious forests, caring for a few veggie pots, reading, and creating fun art with her husband.  She is a passionate animal advocate and nature enthusiast.

Carrie is a student of Mindfulness & Meditation as well as a certified teacher.  She believes in striving to remain truly present, especially with children. All of the things that light her up are present in abundance at Asheville Farmstead School!  What a delightful honor!! 

Lead Explorers Educator

Brianna is the Lead Explorers Educator at the Asheville Farmstead School. Brianna’s journey prior to the Farmstead included working and living in the wilderness as a Wilderness Field Instructor for a Wilderness Therapy Program. During her two years in the wilderness, she taught the children how to overcome challenges, express their emotions safely, and primitive camping skills. She has experience in creating and facilitating recreational programs for children of all ages. In addition, she also has experience in working with children of all different needs such as; Autism spectrum, ADHD, and other behavioral health backgrounds. 

Brianna is pursuing her Undergraduate degree at Western Carolina University for Parks and Recreational Management. She will have obtained her Bachelors of Science in the Fall of 2023. She believes that all levels of education are important and is striving to achieve her Graduate degree in Experiential Education. 

Brianna was born in New Jersey, then moved to Charlotte, NC when she was younger. She spent most of her childhood growing up in the city. When the opportunity for change arose, she took it to live in the beautiful Smoky Mountains and has not left since. 

Brianna has an enormous love for nature and the outdoors. She is not afraid to get a little dirty in the woods when it comes to playing and facilitating activities. She spends most of her free time hiking, backpacking, practicing yoga, and playing with her dog Cinnamon. Some fun facts about Brianna are that she is a pro at hula hooping, enjoys all music, and attends concerts.